Hazard reduction burns ahead of fire season

New South Wales Rural Fire Service crews are carrying out hazard reduction burns this week ahead of the start of the bushfire season in Port Stephens and Dungog on Friday.

The RFS is conducting the burns in the Abermain, Lemon Tree Passage and Anna Bay areas.

It is warning residents to keep doors and windows closed to prevent smoke entering their homes.

The bushfire season has already started in the Cessnock area and Rural Fire Service Superintendent, Jason McKellar says it is important to prepare for the arrival of warmer weather.

"Around the Lower Hunter it doesn't take long, with a few of the hot northwesterly days for things to dry out and for things to become a problem," he said.

"So we're doing a lot of hazard reduction at the moment."

"Brigades around the Lower Hunter have done about half a dozen over the last week and we've got quite a few planned for the next few days."

Meanwhile, Port Stephens council is looking to build a new fire station on the Tilligerry Peninsular to improve facilities for the Rural Fire service.

Under the plans being considered by the council, a new station would be built at Tanilba Bay and the current facilities at Lemon Tree Passage upgraded.

Superintendent McKellar says existing stations in the two areas are only able to house small fire tankers which have less water capacity, than modern tankers.

"As we've evolved and fire trucks have got bigger and the amount of equipment that we need to put in these stations has evolved we've needed to grow with it and we're at that point with Lemon tree passage and Tanilba Bay now, where we need to upgrade the stations," he said.

"Port stephens council is going through a consultative process with the residents out there at Tanilba Bay as to where the station is going to be located."